Shuttle feeler mechanism



May 23, 1950 J. c. TODD SHUTTLE FEEL-ER MECHANISII ma Feb. 2, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I770 Rab-rs May 23, 1950 Filed Feb. 2, me

J. C. TODD FEELER MECHANISM 3 Silesia- Sheet 2 JTTORIYEVJ' Patented May 23, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHUTTLE FEEL ER MECHANISM John 0. Todd, Greenville, S. 0.

Application February 2, 1949, Serial No. 74,161

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to looms of the type incorporating an automatic filling replenishing mechanism, and more especially to an improved shuttle feeler mechanism for such looms.

Looms equipped with automatic filling replenishing mechanisms are well known and have been used for a number of years in the textile industry. The filling replenishing mechanism operates to detect filling exhaustion and to effect transfer of a new shuttle bobbin just prior to exhaustion of the old one. This mechanism commonly includes a shuttle feeler for preventing transfer upon filling exhaustion unless the shuttle is properly boxed.

Considerable difficulty has been experienced with shuttle feelers of this type. because it often happens the shuttle will bounce at the end of its flight so that it is not properly boxed, in which case the feeler will prevent transfer, and when this happens down time results at the loom until it is adjusted again by a fixer. Also, shuttle feelers of the type heretofore in use usually damage the shuttle when the above noted condition occurs.

According to the present invention the above difliculties heretofore encountered are obviated by an improved shuttle feeler mechanism which operates to insure proper boxing of the shuttle for transfer upon filling exhaustion. Briefly described, the shuttle feeler mechanism of the present invention comprises: a shuttle feeler arm pivoted on the loom for actuation upon filling exhaustion in substantially the same manner heretofore employed; a shuttle feeler tip mounted for lateral sliding movement on the shuttle feeler arm; and a lever arm fulcrumed on the loom and actuated by the filling replenishing mechanism upon transfer for shifting the shuttle feeler tip laterally on the feeler arm and thereby forcing the shuttle to a properly boxed position.

The improved shuttle feeler mechanism of the present invention is described in further detail below in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view showing a shuttle feeler mechanism arranged according to the present invention and disposed on a loom in relation to the shuttle box and the battery of an automatic filling replenishing mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary right side view corresponding to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front side view corresponding to the Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a further fragmentary plan view showz tion upon actuation by the filling replenishing mechanism at transfer;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail showing the means provided for mounting the shuttle feeler tip on the feeler arm;

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail taken on the line 6-6 in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a face view of the shuttle feeler tip and the associated support in which it is carried;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective detail of the lever member; and,

Fig. 9 is an inverted perspective view of the portion of the lever member which extends to actuate movement of the shuttle feeler tip on the feeler arm.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, and particularly at first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a shuttle feeler mechanism arranged according to the present invention is indicated generally by the reference numeral I'll disposed in operating relation to the hopper stand, shown fragmentarily at l2, of an automatic filling replenishing mechanism for a loom, and to the lay l4 carrying the replenishing shuttle box It in which the shuttle I8 is contained for transfer upon filling exhaustion.

These related loom elements are entirely conventional and well known in the art so that no detailed description is believed necessary here. The filling replenishing mechanism is arranged in the usual manner with a transferrer stud 20 on which is carried a transferrer 22 adapted for ing the shuttle feeler mechanism in active positransferring a new bobbin (not shown) from the hopper I: to the shuttle 18 upon filling exhaustion, and which also carries an extending arm 24 adapted through suitable linkages (indicated generally by the reference numeral 26 in Fig. 1 and 26' in Fig. 3) for actuating a shuttle feeler as described more in detail below, and for positioning a latch member (represented at 28 in Fig. 1) in the path of the lay I for movement by the lay It to actuate thetransferrer 22 upon filling exhaustion.

The shuttle feeler mechanism In of the present invention, as previously mentioned, comprises a shuttle feeler arm 30 pivoted as at 32 on a suitable bracket 34 secured on the loom frame, as shown best in Figs. 2 and 3. As noted above, this shuttle feeler arm 30 is arranged on the loom in substantially the same manner as has heretofore been common, and is further connected at 36 in the usual manner for actuation through the linkage 26 at transfer.

The shuttle feeler arm 30 employed according to the present invention, however, differs unique- 1y over the conventional type of feeler arm in the provision of a shuttle feeler tip 35 which is preferably formed of some relatively resilient fiber composition material or the like, and is arranged for lateral sliding movement on the feeler arm 30. To accommodate this lateral sliding movement, the extending end of the shuttle feeler arm 24 is fitted'with a transverse stud 40 adapted to carry a collar member 42 freely for rotation or lateral displacement. This collar member 42 is in turn adapted to support a mounting bracket 44 on which the feeler tip 38 is secured, and which is formed with an elongated slot 44' through which studs 42' extend to attach it on the collar member 44 so that lateral adjustment is allowed.

The collar member 42 is further formed with an upstanding lug portion 45 arranged in relation to a generally similar lug portion 46 at the extending end of the shuttle feeeler arm 30. This second lug portion 48 is fitted with a transverse stud 54 which is arranged on a bias so that it extends in spaced relation to the axn of the collar member 42 but rearwardly with respect to the feeler tip 55. The lug portion 46 on the collar 42 is formed with an aperture providing clearance for the extending disposition of this transverse stud 55, and a compression spring 55' is disposed over the stud 55 between the lug portions 46 and 48 so that the collar member 42, and consequently the feeler tip 36, are normally yieldably dhposed in a retracted position. Also, it should be noted that the transverse stud 58 forms a guide means for directing lateral movement of the collar member 42 and feeler tip 38, and that the biased arrangement of this guide means results in displacing the feeler tip 38 rotatively during lateral sliding movement from an elevated position to a lowered position in axial alignment with the tip it of the shuttle I 8.

The shuttle feeler mechanism iii further comprises a lever member 52 which is fulcrumed on the loom frame as at 54 for actuating the lateral sliding movement of the feeler tip 35. For this purpose, one end of the fulcrumed portion of the lever member 52 extends to a disposition in the path of movement of the latch member 28, so

' that the lever member 52 is pivoted about the fulcrum point 54 each time the latch member 25 is positioned in the path of the lay l4 to actuate a transfer. The other end of the lever member 52 is formed for adjustable assembly with an actuating arm portion 52', which is 4 and displacement of the arm portion 52' nicely in proper operating relation to the feeler tip 38.

The extending end of the actuating arm portion 52' is formed with a depending tip 64 disposed for operating contact with the feeler tip 38. The main body of the arm portion 52' is positioned above and clear of the feeler tip 35, but

the depending tip 64 extends downwardly for contact with the upstanding lug 46 formed on the collar member 42 which carries the feeler tip 35. Consequently, pivoting movement of the fulcrumed lever member 52 by the latch member 25 results in movement of the arm portion tip 64 to press the upstanding lug against the force of the spring 55' and thereby eifect lateral sliding movement of the collar member 42 and feeler tip 34. As previously mentioned, the biased disposition of the guide stud causes the feeler tip 38 to shift rotatively during this sliding movement from an elevated position to a lowered position in axial alignment with the tip I! of the shuttle l6, which permits substantial paralleling with the shuttle it during the initial stages of lateral movement of the feeler tip 38.

In operation, the shuttle feeler arm 30 is moved up to feel the shuttle l 8 by the replenishing mechanism in the usual manner upon filling exhaustion, and when this happens the lever member 52 provided according to the present invention is likewise pivoted so that the feeler tip 38 is shifted laterally as described above to contact the tip i8 of the shuttle i5 and locate the shuttle l8 in properly boxed position in a, manner such 7 that any bounce of the shuttle i5 is automatically arranged for operating contact to actuate the shuttle feeler tip 38 as will be described more in detail presently.

The adjustable assembly of the arm portion 52' is eifected by a securing bolt 56 which is disposed in elongated slots formed in the arm portion 52' and fulcrumed lever portion 5 2, respectively, and disposed substantially at right angles as shown; and by an adjusting stud 58 which is adiustably fixed on the fulcrumed lever portion 52 by opposed locking nuts 55, and is attached at one end by a stud 52 to the arm portion 52' in spaced relation to the above mentioned securing bolt 55, so that adequate leverage is provided for holding the arm portion 52' fixed in given adjusted position with respect to the, fulcrumed lever portion 52, additional assembly apertures 52 being arranged in the arm portion 52' to allow the stud 52 to be shifted if necessary in accordance with a given shifted position of the arm portion 52' at the securing bolt 56. This arrangement makes it possible to adjust the reach corrected. Improper boxing of the shuttle l8 at transfer may also result from late arrival of the shuttle II, and in such a case the feeler arm III will prevent transfer in the usual manner, but the shuttle construction of the present invention is particularly adapted for incorporating a relatively resilient shuttle feeler tip 38, as previously noted, so that the shuttle I8 is not damaged when this happens as it usually was by the feeler mechanisms heretofore in use.

It should also be noted that the inner edge 64' of the actuating arm portion 54 is vertically disposed, and that the upstanding lug 46 on the collar member 42 is formed with a notch having a similarly disposed vertical edge 45'. The arrangement provided for adjustable assembly of the arm portion 52' makes it possible to adjust its reach and displacement so that the vertical edge 64 on the arm tip 64 will slip on of the vertical edge 46' on the collar lug 46 just as the feeler tip 56 has pressed the shuttle l8 home properly; and as the main body -of the arm portion 52 is above and clear of the lug 46, this will allow the collar member 42 and feeler tip 28 to be returned to retracted position by the spring 50', so that recovery of the shuttle feeler arm 30 and lever member 52 may take place independently without interference. Recovery of the shuttle feeler arm so is effected in the usual manner by the replenishing mechanism l0 through the linkages 26 and 26'. Recovery of the lever member 52 is effected by a spring 65 fastened to a hopper stand l2, just below transfer stud 20 and connected to the lever 54.

I claim:

1. In a loom having an automatic filling replenishing mechanism including a shuttle feeler mechanism, the improvement which comprises a laterally movable shuttle feeler tip incorporated in said shuttle feeler mechanism, and a lever member fulcrumed on said loom and actuated by said filling replenishing mechanism upon transfer for shifting said shuttle feeler tip laterally in a direction to shift an improperly boxed shuttle into proper position for transfer.

2. In a loom having an automatic filling replenishing mechanism, an improved shuttle feeler mechanism comprising a shuttle feeler arm pivoted on said loom for actuation upon filling exhaustion, a shuttle feeler tip mounted for lateral sliding movement on said shuttle feelerarm, and a lever member fulcrumed on said loom and actuated by said filling replenishing mechanism upon transfer for shifting said shuttle feeler tip laterally on said shuttle feeler arm and thereby insuring proper boxing of the shuttle for transfer.

3. In a loom, the combination with an auto-- matic filling replenishing mechanism of, a shuttle feeler mechanism for insuring proper boxing of the'shuttle for transfer upon filling exhaustion, said shuttle feeler mechanism comprising a shuttle feeler arm pivoted on said loom for actuation upon filling exhaustion, a shuttle feeler tip mounted for lateral sliding movement on said shuttle feeler arm, and a lever member fulcrumed on said loom and actuated by said filling replenishing mechanism upon transfer for shifting said shuttle .--feeler tip laterally on said shuttle feeler arm.

4. In a loom, the combination with an automatic filling replenishing mechanism of, a shuttle feeler mechanism for insuring proper boxing of the shuttle for transfer upon filling exhaustion, said shuttle feeler mechanism comprising a shuttle feeler arm pivoted on said loom for movement to shuttle feeling position by said filling replenishing mechanism upon filling exhaustion,- a shuttle feeler tip mounted for lateral sliding movement on said shuttle feeler arm and normally yieldably disposed on said arm in a retracted position, and a lever member fulcrumed on said loom and actuated by said filling replenishing mechanism upon transfer for shifting said shuttle feeler tip laterally on said shuttle feeler arm whereby said feeler tip is shifted in contact lent material.

with the tip of the shuttle and positioned for locating the shuttle in properly boxed position.

5. A shuttle feeler mechanism adapted for insuring proper boxing of the shuttle for transfer in looms having an automatic filling replenishing mechanism, said shuttle feeler mechanism comprising a shuttle feeler armadapted for pivoted mounting on the loom for movement to shuttle feeling position by the filling replenishing mechanism upon filling exhaustion, a shuttle feeler tip mounted for lateral sliding movement on said shuttle feeler arm and normally yieldably disposed on said arm in a retracted position, guide means on said shuttle feeler arm for directing lateral movement of said feeler tip, said guide means being-biased for displacing said feeler tip rotatively during lateral sliding movement from an elevated position to a lowered position axially aligned with the tip of the shuttle. a lever member adapted for fulcrumed mounting on the loom for actuation by the filling replenishing mechanism upon transfer for shifting said shuttle feeler tip laterally on said shuttle feeler arm whereby said tip is shifted in contact with the nose of the shuttle, and means for adjusting the reach and displacement of said lever member in proper operating relation with respect to said feeler tip.

6. A shuttle feeler mechanism as defined in claim 5 and further characterized in that the shuttle feeler tip is formed of a relatively resil- JOHN 0. Tom).

REFERENCES CITED The following references file of this Patent:

UNITED S TATES PATENTS are of record in the Draper et a1. Apr. 27. 194: 

